No sparkle for Irish at Diamond meet

Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 01:00

Athletics: There was little to cheer and much disappointment from an Irish standpoint at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne tonight where David Gillick failed to race in the 400m after his false start.

Gillick missed his chance to shine in one of the high profile meetings on the athletics calendar after firing out of the blocks long before the gun.

As Gillick traipsed off Jamaica’s Jermaine Gonzalez defeated Belgium’s European Champion Kevin Borlee to win in a time of 45.27.

The problem for Gillick is time is running out to make the 45.25 A-standard the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in eight week’s time.

Derval O’Rourke was also in action but could only manage seventh in the 100 metres hurdles in a time of 12.98 seconds - still her season’s best. Australia’s Sally Pearson won (12.47) ahead of American Danielle Carruthers (12.48).

Ailis McSweeney returned to action after an Achilles tendon injury and finished eighth in the 100 metres B-race, clocking 12.12. McSweeney was beaten by Niamh Whelan, who ran 11.71 for sixth. Both lined out in the Irish 4x100 metres but could only manage fifth (45.71).

Fionnuala Britton was eighth in the 3,000 metres steeplechase (9:38.88) to be just short of her season best, but inside the A-standard for the London Olympics.

Alistair Cragg struggled in the 5,000 metres in a competitive race won by Kenya’s Vincent Chepkok (12:59.13).

Elsewhere Asafa Powell won the 100 metres in 9.78 seconds, the fastest time this year, with the first five over the line in under 10 seconds.